--- product_id: 11786980 title: "Platform Paperback – July 13, 2004" brand: "michel houellebecqfrank wynne" price: "€ 95.84" currency: EUR in_stock: true reviews_count: 7 url: https://www.desertcart.pt/products/11786980-platform-paperback-july-13-2004 store_origin: PT region: Portugal --- # Platform Paperback – July 13, 2004 **Brand:** michel houellebecqfrank wynne **Price:** € 95.84 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Platform Paperback – July 13, 2004 by michel houellebecqfrank wynne - **How much does it cost?** € 95.84 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.pt](https://www.desertcart.pt/products/11786980-platform-paperback-july-13-2004) ## Best For - michel houellebecqfrank wynne enthusiasts ## Why This Product - Trusted michel houellebecqfrank wynne brand quality - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Full description not available ## Images ![Platform Paperback – July 13, 2004 - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61DeJ0tl1rL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Brilliant! *by G***D on March 29, 2021* I am reading my fifth novel by Houellebecq at the moment. Although Platform was not my favorite of his novels, it still has leagues more depth in terms of its insights, emotions, humor, pathos and perceptions of all the problems of modern life, foibles of human character, etc. than almost any other novel I can think of (excepting, of course, other novels by Houellebecq). I love Houellebecq so much that I actually composed a musical portrait of him which I posted online. Reading his novels is like being in the company of a close friend. Unfortunately, I don't have much time to write reviews, nor to go into great depth about this book. Suffice it say, I am of the opinion that Houellebecq is an important writer—undoubtedly one of the greatest of all living novelists. His writing is fearless, incisive, poignant, original, and, at times, utterly shocking. Genius! Caveat: not for the squeamish or puritanical of heart. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ An examination of cynicism and desire *by I***R on February 14, 2011* "Anything can happen in life, especially nothing."This sums up Michel's Houllebecq's novel quite well. Michel, the narrator, says people think of him as aa "harmless human being, moderately amusing." "They were right," he says. "That was about it." He avoids other people because "It is in our relations with other people that we gain a sense of ourselves; it's that, pretty much, that makes relations with other people unbearable."He is one cynical guy. He maintains that individuality is a sham: "When all's said and done, the idea of the uniqueness of the individual is nothing more than pompous absurdity." But I don't think he really believes that. There's something else underneath, some hope that life could be better under certain circumstances.He meets a young woman named Valerie on a trip to Thailand, where about two-thirds of the story takes place. He is blown away by Valerie's innate desire to give others pleasure. It's something he's never found in a person before. Their sex is frequent and intense and detailed intricately in Houllebecq's prose. Some is his best writing is when he is describing sex, or the desire to have sex, or the feeling after having sex. He's not quite obsessed with sex, but I would say he gives it more worth and value than most people in 21st Century America do. (Sometimes we need a Frenchman to remind us that sex is good!) Sex, he says "is the only game left to adults." That said, if you're easily offended by sexual acts, this book is not for you. Many people would consider large portions of this book to be nothing more than pornography. I disagree, because I think there's more going on here, but it's true that Houllebecq loves writing steamy stuff.However, there's a dark tone underlying all this love and sex, because the narrator tells us early on that he is now alone and regrets never being able "to know a wife's body." So we know something goes wrong with Valerie, we just don't know what it is.In the second half, the book switches from a story of sexual self-discovery and blossoming love to a story of how two people (Michel and Valerie) fit into the global economic system. I don't want to read too much into his writing, but I know Houllebecq too be crafty, always sneaking in meaning and larger philosophical issues. And the global political themes are very easy to spot. Valerie is involved in setting up hotels in third-word countries, and she and Michel begin to foray into sex tourism, making women available at these hotels for rich people to sleep with. They view it as a capitalist Meanwhile, they're having sex like crazy, experimenting, and at times it seems a bit too much for Michel. It becomes clear that their entrepreneurial sex endeavor will run up against some powerful forces. And it becomes clear that this clash of civilizations is the dark event the narrator foreshadowed.Michel struggles to hold onto his rejuvenated life, which is always vulnerable to his original cynicism. In the latter throes of the book, it becomes clear that the narrator Michel is just as cynical as he ever was. A broken man is telling us this story. "We are probably wrong to assume that each individual has some secret passion, some mystery, some weakness." No matter what kind of pleasure he experiences, Michel still retains his cynical belief that the idea of "the individual" is a lie. By allowing ourselves to be overcome with passion, we also make ourselves vulnerable to pain. The higher the joy, the more potential it has to hurt when it comes tumbling down. And this is exactly what happens to the narrator.One of the most moving and gorgeous passages in the book has nothing to do with Michel, but with a dying old man. He realizes at the end of his life that the only good thing he did in life was raise a few rabbits in a small hutch. His career, his wife, it was all a pointless pursuit. But this admission isn't totally nihilistic. Those rabbits had some sort of meaning and power in his life. Of course, in typical Houllebecq fashion, when the man dies, his wife wants to kill all the rabbits to be rid of them.Most of the novel is written in first-person, but then Houllebecq switches to third person omniscient. So, essentially, the reader gets insight into the other characters, pictures of their most vivid memories and most intense desires, but we're still in the language, the head of the narrator, Michel. Normally, I think this kind of blending of points of view can be gimmicky, but somehow Houllebecq makes it work."It's curious to think of all the human beings who live out their whole lives without feeling the need to make the slightest comment, the slightest objection, the slightest remark." But when Valerie is gone, this is exactly what Michel does. For him, Valerie was the one exception, the one passionate outlet. Once she's gone, he realizes he no longer wants to make any comments or objections. He doesn't love and he doesn't hate. He simply accepts his fate and the end of his life in a sober manner. In the end he knows he will be forgotten, and quickly. It's a bleak assessment of his life, but it's also a realistic assessment. As he himself admits, the protagonist was a "mediocre individual in every sense."The book, however, was in no way mediocre. This is a fantastic effort that explores the nature of love and desire, the ugly heart of materialism and the agony of loss. ### ⭐⭐⭐ clever one sentence counter factual hiding in a novel. *by J***S on January 25, 2024* All of this authors book boil down to a clever counterfactual, what if Saudi Arabia bought Paris, or what if Hilton decided to get into the sex tourism business, and then just a lot of vulgar language, and trite conversation. Be reading. ## Frequently Bought Together - Platform - Atomised - Submission --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.pt/products/11786980-platform-paperback-july-13-2004](https://www.desertcart.pt/products/11786980-platform-paperback-july-13-2004) --- *Product available on Desertcart Portugal* *Store origin: PT* *Last updated: 2026-05-03*